Real Madrid sweating over the fitness of key trio as UEFA Super Cup final lurks – report

Real Madrid are currently facing a time crunch concerning the fitness of three crucial players: Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Dani Carvajal.

According to a report from SPORT, there is a possibility that this trio might not be available for the European Super Cup match against Atalanta, scheduled for August 14.

It must be noted that Real Madrid are set to commence pre-season training next Monday. However, they will not have any new signings present, except for a few players returning from loan spells like Jesus Vallejo and Reinier Jesus.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti will also be without many of the international players who participated in the Euro Cup and Copa America. These players are entitled to a minimum of three weeks’ holiday after their respective national teams were eliminated from the tournaments.

This means the manager is only expecting two international players who were eliminated early in the competitions, Luka Modric and Andriy Lunin.

Even their arrival could be delayed, as their vacation period might extend slightly beyond the minimum requirement. The rest of the internationals will rejoin the team gradually, based on the dates their national teams were eliminated.

Those who played in Euros might join late

The final group of players to join pre-season includes the two Euro finalists, Carvajal and Bellingham, along with Mbappe, who will not start his holidays until his presentation next Tuesday, the 16th.

They are expected to return three weeks later, with Carvajal and Bellingham arriving around August 3, and Mbappe on August 5, assuming everything goes as planned.

If these players do not join earlier, Ancelotti will have less than ten days to prepare them for the first official match of the season. This match is the European Super Cup against Atalanta on August 14 in Warsaw.

These key players, along with Federico Valverde and other French internationals, will have very limited time to reach the physical conditioning level required to compete with their teammates.

All of Mbappe, Bellingham and Carvajal will be pushing themselves to the limit to be ready for the season’s first title clash.

For Mbappe, it would be his debut in a Real Madrid jersey. While Ancelotti is sure to rely on these stars, he faces a dilemma about risking them due to their short preparation period.

And then there is a persisting issue related to Mbappe and Bellingham. While the French superstar seems fine, there is a possibility that he might have to undergo surgery to treat his broken nose.

Similarly, Bellingham is still struggling with a shoulder problem and if he decides to opt for an operation, he might be out for as many as two months.